Lumi, my demon familiar. Blood-bonded, with the ability to find me anywhere I go, and the ability to read my so-called bloodlust levels. According to her, all princes have familiars, and there were four of them: Azazel, Azrael, Mahazael, and Samael. Their mission is to protect their masters. Apparently, Samael summoned Lumi centuries ago. There’s no telling how old she was, and I didn’t dare to ask. To me, she looked like she was borderline 21, around my age, maybe younger. She sure carried herself like she was younger; boisterous, full of care-free energy, and a little on the eccentric side. Not to mention, she was loyal to me to a fault. I looked down at her as we walked to the hospital, seeing my oversized sweater draped over her like a knitted dress. She was on the shorter side, being all of five feet. It was a relief, having someone as animated about this as she was to be my cute tour guide. I was in foreign territory, and I could use all the guidance I could get.

Lumi also told me that these princes of the underworld had specialties too—Samael’s being fire. Azazel had air, Azrael, water, and Mahazael, earth. I mentioned not feeling any different since I was reborn. If I had any super powers, I would feel it.

“Your spiritual core is still developing,” she said. “When you came back to life, did you see something that looked like a mini screen? Something you’d see in a RPG?”

“Yeah, now that you mention it. But I saw it right before I died.”

“That’s your spiritual core. The next time you see it, you might notice your flame magic listed.”

“Flame magic, huh?” I scratched my chin. “I see that being hard to use around regular people.”

“You’d be shocked by the amount of people actively possessed by a demon.”

“That’s frightening to hear. I’m guessing all demons have specialties?”

“Not all of them. It’s pretty rare for a low class demon to have specialties. Oftentimes they steal it with a melding spell. And even then, it’s temporary.”

“How about you? You’re a familiar, right? I remember you saying that familiars are low class demons. Do you have any specials of your own?”

“Well, I don’t have that per say, but I do have something else! You’ll just have to wait and find out!”

I smiled. “Fair enough. So far, I know you can transform into a cat. And… retain some of the feline features…” I said as I studied her appearance carefully. “Hey, listen, I know you’re hiding your tail in the sweater, but I don’t think people would take kindly to the cat ears, either.”

“Can’t I just say I’m cosplaying?”

“Well, yeah, but—”

She giggled. “Don’t worry, Isaac. I do have a human form. Your entire house does, actually. I just wanted to be myself around you for a little longer.”

“Speaking of, why can’t I smell you? Persallus had a scent. Don’t all demons smell like sulfur?”

“Persallus is a high-classed demon. Normally, we wouldn’t be able to smell her. But seeing as you’re an exception, being a prince of hell and all, you were able to.”

“So theoretically, you weren’t able to detect her?”

“No. I only knew she was around through rumors.”

“So then, demons won’t be able to detect me either, right?”

She laughed. “Maybe if you kept your head in the sand! Once we start working on our mission, word would spread quickly. That’s why it’s important you travel with your women. As for my scent, I’m an exception. You did a rare ritual some time ago to mask my scent, even from you.”

“Why?”

“To keep me stealthy, or protected. Or both! I was your favorite after all.”

I snickered at that brazen face she gave me. I’m sure she was.

Lumi tucked herself in an alleyway, my steps behind her slowing down. She’d been following my lead this entire time until now, so I had to ask, “What are you doing?”

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“Being inconspicuous!” she whispered excitedly, and then her body was suddenly veiled in a bright white light.

Being inconspicuous, aye? She looked like a beacon…

I had no clue what was going on, so I made sure to cover her, rushing closer to my familiar to block the spotlight from her show. In as little as five seconds, she vanished—correction, she shrunk, down to about a foot from the ground. Once the blinding white light faded, I realized she’d transformed into the white cat that’d been stalking me earlier.

She meowed, then licked her tiny paw as she sat at my feet.

“Wow, what a neat trick! Color me impressed.” I wouldn’t have believed it unless I witnessed it with my own eyes. I had a grin from ear to ear, something about me having magic specialties finally exciting me. “Lumi, how long can you stay like that?”

She gave me a long stretchy meow.

“Oh, right. You can’t exactly talk in this form. Seriously though, the idea of a talking cat for demons isn’t too far-fetched. I’m guessing you changed into your feline form because you won’t be able to come inside with me?

She brushed her body along my leg and purred. “Heh, all right, Lumi. You take the scenic route. I’m going to go through the front door.”

When we dipped back out of the alleyway, we reached the hospital’s campus. Lumi went off, and I instantly felt like I was exposed. As if I had all eyes on me—humans, angels, demons. This was the kind of naked I didn’t feel comfortable with, but I tried to act normal, and you know, not like a demon.

“Cecil, morning!” I greeted the front desk nurse, her entire demeanor different than usual.

“Hey, Isaac. Dr. Charmine has been expecting you…”

The good doctor turned a corner down the hallway and flagged me down with one hand, holding a clipboard with the other. I waved goodbye to Cecil, and followed Dr. Charmine.

When we reached my mother’s ward, his steps slowed down. I could tell that his shoulders were heavy, and something about his usual chipper personality was off. It was something about my mother, wasn’t it? Why else would the staff act so stiff?

Our walk was quiet, so I had to prepare for the worst. My mother was very close to the hospital staff, especially her doctor. One would even say that Dr. Charmine had a thing for my feisty Latina, and the fact that he was silent throughout meant that he was hurting inside.

So I had to ask myself—Was I ready for the bad news?

My stomach tossed and turned when he pulled down the lever of her door and opened it. Inside, I saw my mother as I always did, except this time she wasn’t awake.

“Isaac, Carmen’s health had a rapid decline. Without much warning, her consciousness began deteriorating. We see movement in the brain, but she isn’t responsive. At this stage, we cannot diagnose what triggered this onset of brain damage, and at this point, she is in a vegetative state…”

Mom?

“Soon, we would need to start talking about how we’d proceed in the near future. If things continue the way they are, well… I’m sorry, Isaac. I’d be more than happy to sit down with you and talk about your optio—”

“No,” I said sternly. “I’d like some time alone with my mom.”

“Of course.” He closed the door behind him, the room irregularly quiet. The sound of her heart rate monitor was the only thing I could hear, besides the maddening scream inside my head. I was fuming, so fucking angry. This wasn’t a coincidence! Last night, Persallus killed me, and now, my mother’s in a vegetative state?

She got to her. That cynical demon of fate got to my mom! How else could I explain this shit?!

“UGGHAAHH!” I roared, cocking my arm back and throwing a punch against the wall. To my surprise, my fist caved clean through to the next room. I gasped, pulling my arm out of the wall and then peeping through the other side. Luckily, the room was vacant, but my mind was spinning with how suddenly strong I was.

“Crap!” I snatched the tall wardrobe closet and reeled it over to cover the damage, ignoring the fact that someone would know something happened with the way chunks of drywall piled up on the floor. In that pile, I noticed a coin, the same coin my mom had chucked out of my hand yesterday.

I crouched over and picked it up. The goat head. All of the puzzle pieces were connecting now—this must have been a cult coin. That’d explain why my mother didn’t want me having it.

But how did she know about cults?

I heard a light shuffling noise and picked my head up, the white cat along the balcony catching my attention. Lumi was out there, poking her head out from the other side of the curtains. I drew out a long defeated sigh and slipped the coin inside my pocket before walking over to my mother.

“Hey,” I said, my voice flat and gravelly. “I don’t know if you could hear me, but, I’m sorry, Mom. This is my fault. I should have been there to protect you. It was my job to make sure you were safe, and I failed you. But I promise, I’ll make it up to you. I swear, I will. I’m going to find the demon who did this to you and make her pay!” I seethed. “You have my word. I’m going to hunt that bitch and make her answer for all of this!” I growled, trying to hold back my tears. “Just you wait…” I squeezed my fist around the coin, feeling my arm heat up. When I leaned over to kiss my mom on her forehead, Lumi tapped on the glass screen balcony door.

I didn’t want her coming inside, I didn’t want her seeing my mother like this. So we parted ways, telling my mother I’d see her later. And the next time we’d met, things would be better. They had to be. I’d made her a promise, and I was a man of my word.